Mondays Are for Trying New Things
When I write something that moves me, when I smile at a worried over presentation, when I flesh out a particularly elegant idea, a high joy overflows my boundaries. I share that feeling with a friend who does the same when the joy of accomplishment is shining through her.
And when I’m overwhelmed with a problem or misstep, a bad hair day or a dark dead end. I dial through to that same friend again.
This time it’s not joy I’m sharing. It’s a state of confusion, a search for solutions, a total frustration with my inability to make things connect in the direction that was my intention.
The answer is get in return is always the same, “What would you say to someone else? You’d be brilliant, wouldn’t you? So go be brilliant for yourself.”
One idea: Be as brilliant for you as you would be for everyone else.
Every time I hear that, I shake my head in recognition. My outlook changes and a world of solutions opens up.
One idea. I’m learning to say it to myself.
I still call though because I like to hear her say it.
We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.
. Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.
Hey Liz -I usually find it easier to solve outwardly than inwardly. The biggest challenge, as you write, is bridging that gap. I’m in the midst of such a struggle this morning and the navigation is murky. Hopefully, I’ll report later with the result.
Hi Miz Liz,
Hope you can be brilliant for yourself, but if you’re finding that a problem . . . know I’m here. You always email me. 🙂
Hi Liz! You just introduced yourself (said hello) to me over at my guest post on Chris Brogan’s site.
Anyway, Leo Babauta and I recently launched Train for Humanity (http://trainforhumanity.org) to try and combine our passion for exercise and the internet to raise funds for humanitarian issues. Our message is simple:
getting fit + social media + blogging = social good
During our initial pilot project we are trying to raise $50,000 for the Shegegkaro School in Darfur, which was recently bombed and destroyed….
I have tons of ideas for a “change the world” guest post. 🙂 Let me know if you’d be interested.
Liz:
Such simple yet inspirational advice. You should probably be “everything” else for yourself that you would for everyone else as well – brilliant and then some.
Have a great day!
Hi Mark!
Of course, you’re welcome to come write over here! It sounds like a great cause and I’ve got another way to support it that will come as a total surprise in a time further down the road. 🙂
I’ll email you about a guest post. 🙂
You’re not a stranger anymore.
Hi Blogger Newbie!
If only we were as good to ourselves as we are to others. Sometimes the golden rule needs to work the other way. 🙂
go be brilliant for yourself…it’s brilliant !!
I’m trying to get better at following the same advice I give to others. I had a moment last night when I realized I should be listening to myself, and I was up until 2am planning.
It’s after noon by now. I supposed you’ve got the world changed by now. 🙂
I have a friend like this. I call her my self-talk buddy (because we met in one of those classes that’s big on self-talk). I say “pretend you’re me and tell me what I should say to myself” and she tells me “what would you say to me if I were you?”
It’s sort of a game now, but every time we do it it makes me laugh and reminds me that I don’t suck quite as badly as I feel like I do in those moments.
Someone asked me yesterday what I would be doing for myself if I wasn’t so busy taking care of everyone else. My answer was I don’t know. That’s why I stay busy with other people, I suppose, so I don’t have to figure it out.
Hi Mother Earth!
From what I hear, you’ve been doing just that, and it’s been working for you fabulously!
Hi Michael!
It’s a breakthrough isn’t it . . . when we figure out that we can do that — be our own manager? Congratulations!
Hi Amy!
Maybe you should get a friend named Amy who’s job is to be busy taking care of you and watch what she does. (I’m thinking you other friend is only in charge of the talking part.)
Smiles,
Liz
Good point Liz. Rent-a-Clone, coming to a world changing blog post near you. 🙂
Liz,
I liked your post today and just read a piece by Davina, loving pulse,where she is working through some of the same ideas.
Maybe it’s the fall weather and we need to bundle up and cozy ourselves up for the coming darkness.
Oh how glorious to write and take care of ourselves. I have been caring around a quote from Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s book My Stroke of Insight all day “….in this moment I am perfect, whole and beautiful.”
May the writing be perfect, whole and beautiful too! Thank you for your lovely piece and inspiration.
Hi Patricia,
You returned every bit of inspiration over a hundredfold!
Liz,
After a rather discouraging day (turned down by two affiliates today – yet again) I was over, over joyed to find your comment in my email. Thank you very much. Your words are a lovely gift.
I am awaiting the air porter to head out to Hawaii to teach 2 workshops on change (with 4 days rest in between)I feel a bit like a kid before Christmas morning. It is nice to have this feeling back in my life and I am savoring it.
I hope to change a slice of the world in my lifetime.
I liked sharing in my 5 part series about PTSD how so any volunteers are assisting the military in being ready to help our veterans with real relief. Maybe more folks will read it and want to be open to helping others.
One little change I made, was to smile at folks on my 5 mile morning walk – I collect names too, so now I can say Good morning, Dan, Adam, Bob, Julie, Roberta…and people smile back – even on the rainy days…I feel better and I use up 10 more calories an hour!
Hope you have a great day – I did so appreciate your nice comment.
Hi Patricia,
How nice that you ask people their names. Names are the most important words we know.
If you get a chance come by tonight when we’re all around talking. You’ll find real people with smiles and real names here.
You’re not a stranger anymore. 🙂
How do I come by tonight? sounds like my kind of thing?!